Two devastating blows to Mexborough High Street

The Tesco store has been a fixture of the Mexborough High Street for many years now, some of us will remember the days when it was Hillards. A store of that ilk is integral to the health of the High Street, and has co-existed successfully with market traders and small shops for 30 years or more. As many people are aware there is a fine balance between the needs and demands of supermarkets, and the same needs that town centres have. The fact that a store has operated successfully for so long here indicates that balance has been about right.

We have misgivings as to the rationale behind the closure. Our understanding is, that although Tesco Plc. has well documented difficulties in it’s national enterprise, the Mexborough store has actually been trading profitably. If that is the case, we would hope Tesco would be prepared to discuss the issue and at least give a business justification for this closure. To that end Mexborough First has written to Tesco with a view to arranging a meeting to ascertain what changes , if any, have occurred that have lead them to close an allegedly profitable enterprise. We intend also to contact DMBC to clarify whether any dialogue was opened between the Council and Tesco as regards the decision to charge in the multi storey car park, this decision in itself surely must have given Tesco grounds for concern.

The High Street viability has been on a knife edge for some time now, it seems to us to be a ridiculous and counter-productive move to drive shoppers out of the town by charging, especially when the Council talk is of regeneration. One of the few small advantages Mexborough has had is the free town centre parking. If the charge is a factor, it seems to us that any possible takers will also see that charge as a damaging obstacle to the footfall in their business and make it less likely that a suitable client can be found. If Tesco were consulted and did not support the charge, then the people who passed the plan in Doncaster need to look very closely at their capacity to work with business, particularly in the very difficult climate existing today.We shall be asking DMBC for a position statement on the issues raised. Whatever happens though it is vital that a suitable occupant is found for the site, and we will certainly be pressing DMBC to do whatever they can to secure a deal that can attract the right business in for the long term good of the town.

Closure of Cooplands

The closure of Cooplands is disappointing, and a sad reflection on the difficult trading conditions that exist, when even long established companies are being forced to and beyond the brink of closure. We would hope that the employees of both Cooplands and Tesco will be treated in as fair a manner as possible with gainful re-deployment being offered as locally as possible, or decent terms if employment is no longer possible. Our best wishes to them.